


home where my love lies waiting

by anonlymous



Series: October Challenges 2019 [3]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Comfort, Domestic Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, High Warlock of Alicante Magnus Bane, Homesickness, M/M, Magnus Bane-centric, Pillow & Blanket Forts, Supportive Alec Lightwood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-03
Updated: 2019-10-03
Packaged: 2020-10-20 03:50:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20668856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anonlymous/pseuds/anonlymous
Summary: Frowning, Magnus steps toward the living room, and that’s when he sees it. A circle of couches and chairs, blankets draped over them, candles and two plates inside the pillow fort, and Alec sitting cross-legged in the middle of the world’s most romantic fire hazard.





	home where my love lies waiting

**Author's Note:**

> For day 3 (blankets) and day 4 (candles) of Flufftober.

Magnus may have lived for hundreds of years, but he swears this day has been more exhausting than entire centuries. 

He’d been swamped with meetings with Clave officials - trying their hardest to prevent Downworlders from living in Alicante, new laws be damned - and messages from Downworlders making the move, understandably wary and already frustrated with the obstacles they encountered at every turn. 

Every hour brought another tiny aggression, another thing chipping away at his patience and faith until all he wanted to do was scream at every bigoted Shadowhunter, “I saved you! I left this dimension for the sake of your city. I have helped defeat your enemies, assisted you in your holy war time and time again, as every Downworlder has. And _this_ is what we get?”

He misses his time as high warlock of Brooklyn, a time when solving a territory dispute or convincing Elias to un-curse mermaids was his biggest concern. He misses Catarina, who would’ve told him, “This is not easy, but don't act like you're some helpless 40-year-old warlock. You're Magnus Bane. You’ve been through worse, and you can do this” or else helped him plot and plan and put every sneering Shadowhunter in their place.

He misses Luke, who would speak to them in the firm no-nonsense way he did with misbehaving local packs, and Raphael, who would roll his eyes and curse them under his breath and make Magnus feel better. He misses shopping dates with Isabelle and being subjected to Simon’s rambling and scrappy Biscuit. He misses his friends, his family, his _home_.

But for now, his home is here. He opens the door to their loft, and immediately smells … bread? Hurrying into the kitchen, he discovers that Alec has been baking, an activity he is far more skilled at than cooking.

“Hi, Magnus.”

The sound of Alec’s voice makes him whirl around, but he’s not in the kitchen. Frowning, Magnus steps toward the living room, and that’s when he sees it. A circle of couches and chairs, blankets draped over them, candles and two plates inside the pillow fort, and Alec sitting cross-legged in the middle of the world’s most romantic fire hazard.

“Hi,” Alec says again, smiling at him. “Bring over the bread, please? And sit down, I know you’ve had a hard day.”

Magnus snaps his fingers to summon it, then collapses onto the floor next to Alec. “How did you know that?"

“Your text messages kept getting short and angrier,” Alec informs him. “And I know how tense you’ve been lately, so I figured I’d make dinner – don’t worry, I didn’t cook the rest of it myself, only the bread – and help you relax.”

Magnus lets out a breath slowly. “Well, you were right that I’ve been tense. I just … I miss New York, more so because I’m not making progress here.”

Alec looks at him for a long moment and then reaches out to touch Magnus’s face, caressing his cheek. The motion is so soothing that Magnus, exhausted as he is, nuzzles into Alec’s hand almost instinctively. “But you _are_, Magnus. I know the Clave is obstinate and stuck in their ways, and I can’t pretend to know exactly how difficult this is for you, but you are making change.”

Magnus must look unconvinced, because Alec continues, “Think about the Shadowhunters who keep coming to thank you - some of them look like they’re biting off their own tongues, but some genuinely mean it. Or the look on Ashdown’s face when he saw you at that ball, dancing in the center of the room, and realized he has to get used to it. And do you remember that little warlock girl, Cassandra? She was so scared when she first arrived, and now she’s playing with Idris kids like she’s known them her whole life. And no one dares to be cruel, to her or any of the few Downworlders who are here, because they know the hell you will raise upon them if they are.”

At the memory of Cassandra’s joy as she spun in a circle with the Cartwright children, Magnus smiles for the first time all day. “I suppose you’re right.”

Alec nods, satisfied. “You are making change, Magnus, whether they want it or not. And like you always tell me – the world can’t change in a day, but even the things that seem insignificant are something. And all those somethings are a step toward a better future.”

“Thank you,” Magnus murmurs, resting his head on Alec’s shoulder. It’s a valuable reminder of why he chose to take this position. Because he believed in their ability to create change, because he had to ensure the Downworlders here would be protected, because he wanted to make this world a more equal place for his people. So instead of arguing that what he’s done isn’t enough, Magnus chooses to believe what Alec has said, and the acceptance feels like a physical weight off his shoulders. This job is important, and it’s certainly worth the temporary heartache and homesickness.

And there in Alec’s arms, the homesickness isn’t so bad. In that moment, no matter how much he misses the past and his family and their city, Magnus knows it’s going to be alright. Alec isn’t a substitute for all that he misses – one person cannot be your whole world, as they had learned in those disastrous weeks leading up to their wedding – but as long as they have each other, things are going to be alright. Because as long as he has Alec, he is home.


End file.
